A crowbar haybale kissing
by stevieLUVSAlex
Summary: Set in season 5 finale. Instead of Alex driving away after the fire, he asks Stevie to have a beer... they have a little chat. For anyone who LOVES an S&A romance! :


_A/N: Finale of season 5. Stevie saves Alex from the fire, but what if he didn't run away, what if he asked her for a beer, and she said YES! :D_

"You saved my life," Alex whispered to Stevie when he opened his eyes and realised that she had pulled him from the fire.

Stevie just stared at him with tears in her eyes. He reached up and put his hand on her face letting her know that he was all right. She sighed and dropped her shoulders, finally beginning to relax. It had been the scariest moment of her life. She really thought she had lost him this time and she was overwhelmed with relief that he was all right.

"I'm okay," he assured her.

"Alex…" she didn't even know what to say.

"Thank you, Stevie," he still had his hand on her face. She covered it with her own without taking her eyes from his. She silently prayed that he would see it there that he would see what she was feeling. That he would notice the change in her, and instead of looking away and hiding from him like she had been all morning, she opened her heart to him and smiled.

He sat up bringing his hand down with hers. Neither of them let go.

"Will you have a beer with me?" he asked with a smile.

She laughed trying so hard not to let the tears in her eyes fall from her face. She hated crying. "All right," she stood up and gave him a hand to stand unaware that they were still holding hands.

"Is Sandra all right?" Alex asked suddenly remembering he had been trapped in the cottage with her. He took his eyes from Stevie, but didn't release her hand from his.

"She's fine," Jodi called watching Stevie look at Alex. Stevie didn't even care what she looked like. She only cared that Alex was all right. She had another moment the week before, when Alex had gone missing in the bush. She thought something bad had happened to him. Even the tank accident was pretty bad, she thought he was dead then too. But there was something about this moment that made the fear seem stronger. Was it because she was in love with him? She had only spoken to Tess ten minutes before about taking a chance and telling Alex how she felt. But how could she now?

Alex looked back to Stevie and sighed. "How about that beer?" he offered.

She nodded. "Yeap. I just have to ride Banjo back to the stables, wanna follow me?" she asked. The thought of letting him out of her sight now scared her a little.

Half an hour later they were sitting on the porch at Drovers, a beer in each of their hands.

"Oh Stevie… if you hadn't come when you did," Alex began turning to look at her.

"But I did. So don't worry about it," it was the exact same words that she had used when he fell into the tank. And they didn't go unnoticed. She wasn't looking at him. She was too afraid.

"Stevie, that's twice you've saved me. Twice you risked your life to save mine… you could've been killed," he reasoned.

She shrugged. "But I wasn't."

"Look mate, just take the gratitude and shut up," he laughed.

She smiled playfully punching him in the arm.

"You've been actin' really weird today," he noticed. "Are you all right? I mean first this morning and then with the tools this afternoon. And now, you won't even look at me. What's goin' on mate?" he pushed.

She forced herself to look in his direction but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. She wasn't ready to be rejected yet, and she knew with her luck that he would laugh at her and every time they were together it would be awkward.

"Nothin' is goin' on. Just tired," she lied.

"You've been tired before and you never acted like this," he pointed out trying to pinpoint what was really wrong with her.

She shook her head and took a drink of her beer, ignoring his last comment. "So what was the fight about with Harry?" she asked.

"Oh… Nick," he sighed. "Harry's taking all the photos down like he doesn't exist and he said some things that mad it clear he wished it were me dead and not Nick… he's right though. It should have been me!" he stated looking devastated.

"NO!" she snapped angrily. She brought her eyes to his. "Don't you ever say that Alex." How could he even think that?

He shrugged like it didn't matter. "What have I got here Stevie? I mean Nick had Tess, he had dad and had me. What do I have?" he asked.

"You have me," she told him firmly holding back the tears. "Alex… you have me," she reached out and touched his hand for a brief moment. He looked at her and smiled nodding his head.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You're right. I do have you, and I couldn't ask for a better mate Stevie… you have to know that. I appreciate what you do for me. You know that right?" he inquired.

She nodded. "I know."

"Good."

"I appreciate what you give me too Alex… I wanted to tell you something," she was finding that she had courage. She had the courage to tell him that she was totally and completely in love with him.

"All right. What?" he was listening.

"When you went missing last week I got scared," she confessed. She had to start somewhere and the beginning was as good as any.

He laughed. "You don't say. You pushed me pretty hard." He said recalling the moment she found him and called him a stupid bloody idiot before knocking him to the ground with a forceful push.

She wasn't smiling. "I thought something had happened to you… I couldn't help thinking that you might be dead. Alex," she started crying.

"It's okay mate," he reached his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer to him. "I'm all right now. Thanks to you."

She laid her head on his chest as he held her. It felt good. It felt safe. Like she had felt in his arms when she was dreaming of him the night before. Was it right to feel that way about him, when he was her best friend? "I hate being scared." She confessed.

"I know that," he smiled.

"I hate crying," she said wiping the tears from her face.

"I know that too," he laughed

"Do you know that I dreamed about you last night?" she whispered closing her eyes and not daring to look at him.

"No, I didn't know that. What did you dream about?" he asked casually, he was clearly intrigued.

There was a long silence. But Alex didn't push her for an answer if she wanted him to know then she'd tell him when she was ready. She was not the type of woman who was easily pressured into doing something she didn't want to.

"You called me cowgirl," she told keeping her eyes closed and her head on his chest.

"Really?" he sounded amused. "Must have freaked you out then, when I called you that this morning?"

"A little."

"What else did you dream of?"

"A crowbar. A haybale. You and me… kissing," she said the last word so softly that he hardly heard her. He shifted in his seat and brought his hands to her face and forced her head up to look at him. Her eyes were still closed. She was terrified of what she might find when she opened her eyes. If she kept them closed things wouldn't change between them, but once she opened them she was stuffed.

"Look at me," he advised. "Open your eyes Stevie."

"I don't want to," she told him.

"Please," he begged.

Slowly, reluctantly, hesitatingly her eyes opened and she saw him. She saw that he wasn't laughing, that he didn't look angry, instead he saw the same look on his face that she saw in her dream, a look of love and desire.

He cupped her face gently in his hands forcing her eyes to focus on him. "What did it feel like?" he asked.

"Safe," she answered honestly. "Warm… good. The damn alarm clock went off," she smiled weakly.

He laughed. But his smile disappeared quickly as his eyes settled on her lips and her eyes looked into his. She saw something there, something familiar. Then like a strong magnet they were drawn together. Just like in her dream, she moved her hand to his chin and traced the bottom with her thumb, she moved her other hand to grip the fabric of his shirt. While one of his hands slid across her cheek and his finger across her lips, the other was placed at the back of her head pulling her forward.

They both drew closer to each other both wanting the same thing, their lips settled on each other's beginning slowly. Alex coxed her lips apart with his tongue deepening the kiss. Stevie's lips explored his opening and closing over the entire length of his mouth. As her hands moved around his neck holding onto him as though he might move away. His hands moved through her hair and finally settled around her waist.

Both of them pulled away breathless and warm.

"How'd that feel?" he asked in hoarse voice.

"Safe… warm… amazing." She smiled.

He looked a little confused, but he was clearly happy about what had happened. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

"No," she shook her head.

"What else did you want to say?"

"That I… I um…" she wasn't sure how to say it.

"That you're in love with me?" he guessed.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm in love with you Alex… it's okay if you don't feel-"

"Are you kidding?" he grinned. "Can I kiss you again?"

She nodded with a smile bringing her hands back around his neck and pulling him closer. "I love you Stevie," he murmured between kisses.

_Review PLEASE... I need to know that people still LOVE this show, even if you hated my story, PLEASE review... all are welcome without judgement. :D_


End file.
